I do, me too: a wedding destination

5 Reasons to do a Destination Wedding

One of the most unique things about my wedding was that it was a destination wedding on a Caribbean island. We chose a place my husband-to-be and I had never been to so it was a brand new experience for us. It was magical and I would have never decided to do it at home (knowing what I know now.)

When we first started planning our wedding, we quickly realized a few important factors that weighed heavily on us when deciding to do a destination wedding:

Many of our guests lived all over the place, and some would be traveling from (literally) the other side of the world for our big day

We have a lot of friends and one side is a very big family, but we knew we wanted it to be an intimate affair

We were concerned about spending all of the money on a wedding that would only last a few hours and wanted to see if we could make it a grander event

We wanted to challenge tradition and make it a memorable experience for both us and our guests

We are both “worldy” and were bit by the “travel bug” at an early age so it just made sense as a representation of our backgrounds

Once we put all of these thoughts together, the idea of a destination wedding became more appealing. The “type A” personality that I have wasn’t helpful, though, and I stayed on the fence for quite a while. It just felt so…out of my control. Could I truly make it my own? And would it feel like a cookie-cutter out-of-the-box wedding ceremony?

I started to do my research and found a few of the larger chain resorts that have customizable wedding packages. I also spoke with a friend who got married this way and then read up on forums from real brides who did it this way. Seeing pictures of these events put me a lot more at ease and got me super excited about doing something that felt so different. I recognized that I would be able to add as many custom touches as I wanted, and it could feel true to us as a couple.

With all of this in mind, if you select a reputable place with good reviews and are paired up with a good wedding coordinator, you can truly make your vision come true. And if it’s like mine, it will be a shared experience for both of you as a couple and your guests that none of you will ever forget. If any of the above ring true for you too, it might be worth researching this and realizing that it’s truly a valid option.

Join me next week to hear some of the downsides to be aware of ahead of time. And if you’ve done your own destination wedding or attended one, let me know if you have anything to add!